Vehicle-toboggan



(No Model.)l

J. 1?. KOCH.

VEHICLE TOBOGGAN.

No. 371,770. Patented Oct. 18, 1887.

trice,

maar

JOHN F. KOCH, OF STEELTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

VEHICLEfTo'eoeeAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 371,770, dated October 18, 1887.

Application tiled August 5, 1587. Serial No. 146,185. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. KOCH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Steelton, in the county of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Toboggans; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appert-ains to make and use the same, reference being` vhad to the accom panying drawings, which form apart ofthis speciication, and in whichr Figure l is a perspective view of my improved vehicle-toboggan, showing the same in position on the double rails on which it is adapted to run. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my improved vehicletoboggan with one of the wheels removed. Fig. 3'is a top plan view of the toboggan, and Fig. 4 is a perspective detail View taken from the lower or under side of the vehicle-toboggan.

The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention consists in a new and improved vehicletoboggan', which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the several parts by letter, A indicates the foot-board or bottom of mynew and improved vchicletoboggan, which is supported on the axles I3 B, having mounted on their outer ends or spindles, B B, the supportingwheels C. These wheels C are formed at their peripheries with the central ange,0, forming von each side thereof the tread C2 G2, as shown, and the inclined way down which the toboggan runs is provided with the double rails D D, or with a single rail having a deep central groove, between which rails D D, or in the central groove of the single, fit and run the central ilanges,: C', of the four wheels C, while the flat treads Cl on both sides of the said central iianges rest and bear upon the iiat tops of the rails D, as shown in the 'perspective view, Fig. l, of the drawings.

To the lower side of the foot-board A are secured longitudinally at each edge thereof the flat metal braces or bars E E, the ends of these dat braces being secured between the axles and the under side of the foot-board,tlie axles B being slightly recessed at the points the front and rear ends ofwhich are supported t on and by the solid end supports G G, as shown, the said supports being reduced slightly toward their lower ends, where they are secured upon the foot-board, while the sides of the seat are supported by the side braces H, consisting each of a main or body piece, I, which is bent into a substantially U shape, with ils fiattened lower end rcstingin a recess, J, in the edge of the foot-board immediately over the axle, so that the lower flat middle portion of the brace rests upon and'is bolted to the flat brace-barE at that point, clearly shown in the side elevation, Fig. 2, .of the drawings, while the sides of this lower section I of the brace extend upward like the sides of a letter V, and have their upper ends bent outward horizontally, the top of the brace be ing formed by a flat horizontal metal bar, K, the ends of which are bolted to the ends ofthe lower section I, .the ends of this dat bar K and of thepart I being bolted to the lower side of the seat, the tlat top bar, K, of the brace resting llat against the bottom of the seat toward the outer side edge ofthe same.

F indicates the front seat, which is arranged immediately over the front axle, being supported at its front and rear ends upon solid braces or end supports G G', and having its sides supported by side braces H', precisely similar in construction to the side braces H of the rear seat, thelower central portions of the lower or main sections I of these side braces resting in edge recesses, J, in the :foot-board, so that their iiat central parts rest upon and are bolted to the flat brace-bars E E at those points immediately above the front axle. The solid end supports G G of the iront seat are similar in construction to those of the rear seat, being reduced in size toward their lower ends, where they are secured upon the footboard.

Both the front and back seat are provided with the low outwardly-inclined railings M M, which extend around three sides of the seats, as shown, leaving the front side of the seats,

lID3

of course, open; andthe seats may be, and are, preferably, cushioned with a suitable cushion, N, which may be covered with plush or the like to present an ornamental appearance.

The foot-board is provided at its front end, in front of the forward seat, with a foot-rest, O, against which the feet of the person in the foremost seat are pressed or braced to steady the rider.

A curved guard, l), is secured over and slightly in front of each of the four wheels to protect the clothes or dress of the person riding in the toboggan from dirt and dust.

In operation it will be secn that the deep central anges of the four wheels fitting in the deep grooves of the rails, or between the flat double rails when such are employed, will effectually prevent the possibility of the vehicle-toboggan swerving te either side, and so running off over. the edge of the inclined way 4down which the toboggan travels, this improved const-ruction of the wheels being a safeguard against and cffectually preventing the only serious accident to which this species of tobogganing has been liable-namely, the danger ofthe toboggan swerving to one side, and thus running off over the edge of the high elevated inclined way down which it travels.

- Besides the deep flanges resting between the double rails, or in the deep central groove of a grooved rail, the tlat wide treads on each side of the said central flanges also operate materially to steady the toboggan while in movement and cause it to run straight and evenly.

Frein the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, operation, and many advantages of my invention will be readily seen and understood.

It will be seen that my improved vehicletoboggan is simple, light, and strong in construction, convenient and comfortable to ride in, and exceedingly safe and efficient in operation. The improved wheels greatly lessen the danger attendant on the sport, while the construction of the several parts, particularly the construction and arrangement ofthe braces E and H, render the machine peculiarly strong in proportion to its size and weight.

Having thus described my invention, what` I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. The combination, with the footboard having the edge slots or openings, of the fiat longitudinal edge braces, the seats, and the side braces formed of the bent lower body portions and the flat top pieces, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the foot-board, of theflat longitudinal edge braces, the axles, the supportingwheels, the seats having the end 'supports and the side braces and provided with the side and back rails, the foot-rest secured upon the front end of the foot board, and the curved guards arranged as described, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. The combination, with the double o grooved rails, of the vehicle-toboggan consisting of the foot-board having the edge slots or openings, the axles, the wheels formed with the central annular wide ianges, the flat longitudinal brace-bars, the seats, the end supports, the side braces consisting of the bent lower body portions and the flat top pieces, and the foot-rest secured upon the forward end of the foot-board, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN F. KOCH.

Vitnesses:

E. DARoN, F. W. Koen. 

